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Explanations: No. 14659 – Saturday, 24 December 2011

Please feel free to leave a comment below. If you have a question about today’s puzzle I am sure that I, or a fellow solver, can answer it for you.

How did you fare with this crossword?

Across 1 He sells tickets to fight the best at work (3-6,4) BOX-OFFICE STAR
To fight (BOX) the best at work (OFFICE STAR) = BOX-OFFICE STAR: he sell tickets. 10 She might seat those moving about the ship (7) HOSTE-SS
“Those” moving about (HOSTE) the ship (SS) = HOSTESS: she might seat. 11 One who’s pragmatic about a register of sorts (7) RE-A-LIST
About (RE) a register of sorts (A LIST) = REALIST: one who’s pragmatic, 12 It’s done the other way up (4) OVER
It’s done (OVER) the other way up (OVER). 13 Six, for each one that slithers away (5) VI-PER
Six (VI) for each (PER) = VIPER: one that slithers away. 15 A couple or one in what’s normal, of course (4) PA(I)R
In “what’s normal, of (golf) course” (PA-R) one (I) or = PAIR: a couple. 17 Glad the gout shows … boy! (3) LAD
Glad (g-LAD) the g-out (-G) shows = LAD: boy. 19 After one it’s bees, around ten it’s goats (6) I-BE(X)ES
After “one” (I) it’s “bees” around “ten” [BE(X)ES] it’s = IBEXES: goats. 21 The passionate are not so quickly around old Penny? (6) AR(D)EN’T
“Are not” so quickly (AR-EN’T) around “old penny” (D) = ARDENT: passionate. 22 Art’s coming back with America’s Waltz King (7) STRA-US’S
“Art’s” coming back (STRA) with “America’s” (US’S) = STRAUSS: the Waltz King. 23 A guy’s mate gets away out west (6) GAL-WAY
A guy’s mate (GAL) gets “a-way” (WAY) = GALWAY: out west. 25 Sinn Féin grasps the root changes in a way (4,2) S(ORT O)F
Sinn Féin (S-F) grasps “the ‘root’ changes” (ORT-O) = SORT OF: in a way. 27 Drink this and listen to the letter before you I say (3) TEA
“You”, I say, ‘U’, the letter before (T) listen to = TEA: drink this. 29 Something grave to a doctor? (4) TO-MB
To (TO) a doctor (MB) = TOMB: something grave? 30 So agitated he put it back (3,2) HE-T UP
He (HE) “put” it back (T UP) = HET UP: so agitated. 31 Al quits the saloon before long (4) SOON
The saloon (S-al-OON) “Al” quits (-AL) = SOON: before long. 34 Yells about me getting them moving about (7) ROA(ME)RS
Yells (ROA-RS) about “me” (ME) getting = ROAMERS: them moving about. 35 They’ve just one cell this morning, and zero at the new base (7) AM-O-EBAS
This morning (AM) and zero (O) at the new “base” (EBAS) = AMOEBAS: they’ve just one cell. 36 **** excited, the Spanish pay more to stay there (4-4,5) FOUR-STAR HO-TEL
**** (FOUR-STAR) excited (HOT) “the” Spanish (EL) = FOUR-STAR HOTEL: pay more to stay there.

Down
2 There’s nothing to be heard at this part of the play that’s immoral (7)
O-B-SCENE
There’s “nothing” (O) to “be” heard (B) at “this part of the play” (SCENE) that’s = OBSCENE: immoral. 3 Take the top off the duck enclosure (4) O-PEN
The duck (O) enclosure (PEN) = OPEN: take the top off. 4 At the back of the ship, the Italian gets an impression of what’s passed (6) FO-SS-IL
At “the back ‘of’” (FO) the ship (SS) “the” Italian (IL) gets = FOSSIL: an impression of what’s passed. 5 Sure changes in the compact disc are doomed (6) C(URSE)D
In “the compact disc” (C-D) “sure” changes (URSE) are = CURSED: doomed. 6 Counsel the sailor, one who crosses the line (4) SC-AB
Counsel (SC) the sailor (AB) = SCAB: one who crosses the (picket) line. 7 Living for a friend from the North (7) A-NI-MATE
A friend from the North (A NI MATE) for = ANIMATE: living. 8 It’s the Hubble’s work seeing them … I wish! (8,5) SHOOTING STARS
It’s the Hubble’s work (SHOOTING STARS) seeing them, I wish (SHOOTING STARS). 9 Begin to wrap up the A-Z? (5,2,6) START TO FINISH
Begin to wrap up (START TO FINISH) the “A-Z”? (START TO FINISH). 14 It’s to mimic in part, a defensive wall (7) PAR(APE)T
In “part” (PAR-T) it’s “to mimic” (APE) = PARAPET: a defensive wall. 16 Took another look only to get cut up again? (5) RESAW
Took another look (RESAW) only to get “cut up again” (RESAW). 18 The artist sent back your boy for the wrong lighting? (5) AR-SON
The artist, ‘RA’, sent back (AR) your boy (SON) for = ARSON: the wrong lighting? 20 Sixty-nine for this dump? (3) STY
Sixty (S-ix-TY) -nine (-IX) for this = STY: dump. 21 A ship of fools … well, just one! (3) A-SS
A ship (A SS) = ASS: fools … well, just one! 24 Leave after the album changes, seeing it affects the back (7) LUMBA-GO
After “the ‘album’ changes” (LUMBA) leave (GO) seeing = LUMBAGO: it affects the back. 26 Worry having Putin’s cash after the end of August (7) T-ROUBLE
After “the end of augus-t” (T) having “Putin’s cash” (ROUBLE) = TROUBLE: worry. 27 Use this perhaps in the afternoon to ease into not drinking? (3,3) T(EA SE)T
Into “not drinking”? (T-T) ease (EASE) = TEA SET: use this perhaps in the afternoon. 28 That’s gold … a couple getting her to help out (2,4) AU PAIR
That’s gold (AU) a couple (PAIR) getting = AU PAIR: her to help out. 32 Drink better without a non-drinker (4) BE-ER
Better (BE-tt-ER) without a non-drinker (-TT) = BEER: drink. 33 So it’s an endless show in London (4) SO-HO
So (SO) it’s an endless s-HO-w, drop the end letters in “show” (HO) = SOHO: in London.